COBB COUNTY, Ga. — When the next heat wave arrives in metro Atlanta, not as many school children and bus drivers in Cobb County will have to suffer onboard the district's school buses.
"All those in favor of air-conditioned buses please raise your hand. "Anyone in favor of the heat? No, 7-0." Cobb County School Board members gave their unanimous approval Thursday to buy nine new buses for the district - total cost $895,758. What drew applause from the public - those buses will all be equipped with air conditioning.
After that, "all new bus purchases moving forward will be buses with air conditioning," said Chris Ragsdale, Cobb schools' superintendent.
"It's going to help us out a whole lot," said Jimi Richards, a three-year driver with Cobb schools. He says he's had to deal with three lung infections that he blames on excessive heat on his school bus. Richards said he's also happy for the school bus drivers to be hired future. "Think about them. 'Cause one day they're going to say 'I can't believe you all drove buses without air conditioning."
Another driver, Angee Scott, agrees. "This helps recruiting, because driving a hot bus with kids on those buses, it's kind of scary."
The board's decision to buy the new nine buses with air conditioning follows last month's debate among board members and residents at the meeting. Some wanted to buy special education buses with AC installed, but regular passenger buses without. Some questioned the need for air conditioning to be added to regular buses on the fleet in the future.
That opinion changed among board members to get to last week's unanimous vote.
However, existing buses in the fleet will not be retro-fitted with air conditioning, new purchases.
The Cobb school district's chief technology and operations officer says of these first new nine buses to be bought with air conditioning, priority will be given to special education buses, then other buses that driver longer routes.
Cobb's school district has 1,133 buses in its fleet. 855 are regular service, with 278 for special education students.